GTV+PS3=Sweet

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Tom Long
Go to Google TV blog

Moved the PS3 down to the family room last night. I’m streaming TV shows recorded on the HTPC through the PS3 to my new Google TV. I accidentally hit a button on the GTV remote and, behold, the PS3 was controlled. Yep, right through the HDMI. Guess I can leave the Harmony remote upstairs. Very sweet. I should have bought this GTV right after my Samsung TV crapped out on me.

I had gone into the PS3 settings to allow it to be controlled by HDMI but I thought that was just to allow it to be shut off. Turns out that several of the commands are functional. (Although further testing will be done to determine any limitations. I’m guessing there is no way to do ‘circle’, ‘PS’, ‘triangle’, etc.)

One weird thing was fast forwarding. The PS3 would only fast forward at 1.5x. It would display faster speeds but when I returned to ‘play’, it just bounced back to the point where I had first started fast forwarding. Even at 1.5x, commercials are way too long.

Thanks to a comment from +Justin S, I can even listen to my Google Music on my GTV, now. Of course, I’m still hoping that when the new version rolls my way there will be a Google Music app along for the ride.

last.fm plays well in the Chrome app which is also a big plus but still not an app, meaning I can’t stream last.fm music and watch slides from Picasa at the same time.

All-in-all, GTV just keeps moving up in my estimation.


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Google TV

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Tom Long
Go to Google TV blog

How good does it really need to be? I’ve read a lot of criticism of Google TV. Leo LaPorte and Gina Trapani got it when it was new but never used it. My Google TV hasn’t updated to the new version yet. But I find it more than satisfactory already. I can easily find shows in the guide, listen to Pandora, watch Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. YouTube is awesome. Slideshows of my Picasa albums are dead simple to share. Hulu Plus or minus doesn’t really matter to me. It is so hamstrung now that it is irrelevant.

Leo has stated a few times on his shows that what it needs is the (out this week) Android app store. The few apps I tried besides the aforementioned gems were okay but fell short. For example Flixster had movie trailers but not local theaters and showtimes like it has on its website. In short, Google TV does everything I want except replace my DVR. So, if this new version makes the menus easier to navigate that will be great.

But I’m already happy with my Sony TV. I just got it Saturday for our second TV. It isn’t quite as nice as the Windows Media Center I use on my main TV. For one thing, it can’t record my shows. But it beats the crap out of the Tivo interface when it comes to doing anything besides watching TV. The remote has been dissed in several reviews but it falls easily to hand, is easy to use, and has a QWERTY keyboard right there when you need. It is the first remote in a long time that I liked better than the Tivo remote.

So, let’s cross our fingers and hope the update doesn’t mess up a great product.


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Live TV on XBMC

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Tom Long


Look, if you have a Hauppauge tuner, WinTV, and Orb, you can watch live TV on XBMC in just a few minutes.

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Travis McGee Hawaiian Style?

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Tom Long
Go to Holidayfun

When the Honolulu Star-Bulletin began its decent into bankruptcy the two things I missed most were the Island Images column and Charles Memminger’s humor column. It has just been announced that Charles (who actually worked some material I sent him into a column once) has been contracted to develop a Travis McGee-like character in a novel set in Hawaii. Big woohoo!

Charles shared my belief that geckos are inherently entertaining and I do hope that he manages to work some of his gecko material into the stories.

I may need a vacation just to enjoy this perfect idea for vacation reading material.

Source: http://www.holidaytravelfun.com/?p=7347

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How to Choose a Carrier

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Tom Long

If you want a really cool phone, choose AT&T.
If you want to be able to use your phone as a phone, choose Verizon.
If you want to use your phone as a data behemoth, choose Sprint.
If you want to stick it to “the man”, choose T-Mobile.
If you think your money belongs in your pocket, choose Virgin mobile.

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